The difficult road to a better competition policy: How do competition authorities reforms affect antitrust effectiveness?

This paper estimates the impact of reforming competition authorities on perceived antitrust effectiveness using methods of causal inference. We study how 20 countries reformed their competition authorities in depth between 1995 and 2020, and what has been the outcome of such reforms in the perceived...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Borrell, Joan-Ramon, García Galindo, Carmen, Jiménez González, Juan Luis
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/205683
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/205683
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Competència econòmica
Dret de la competència
Competition
Antitrust law
Descripción
Sumario:This paper estimates the impact of reforming competition authorities on perceived antitrust effectiveness using methods of causal inference. We study how 20 countries reformed their competition authorities in depth between 1995 and 2020, and what has been the outcome of such reforms in the perceived competition policy effectiveness by the business community compared with 18 control countries in a balanced panel. As the political economy literature warned, we find that reforms paradoxically have not always improved antitrust effectiveness. Some of the reforms approved stalled or backlashed as politicians opted for a Machiavelli option: undertaking 'counter-reforms' even in the name of an apparent but deceptive progressiveness and pro-competition drive.